Bashir Dalhatu, Chairman of its Board of Trustees (BoT) of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has been suspended by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the forum.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting held in Kaduna, where the NEC also accused him of financial misconduct and constitutional breaches.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Tukur Muhammad-Baba, ACF spokesperson, said delegates from about 18 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) convened at an alternative venue following the sealing of the forum’s secretariat on Sokoto Road by the police.
He said the meeting was initially scheduled to hold at the secretariat, but the police sealed off the facility.
Mansir Hassan spokesperson of the Kaduna state police command, said the secretariat was sealed to avert a breakdown of law and order.
Trouble began when Dalhatu drew attention to the expiration of the tenure of some officials of the forum, including Murtala Aliyu, the Secretary-General.
In a statement, Wednesday, Dalhatu said the ACF constitution stipulates a single six-year tenure for BoT members, while NEC members serve a three-year term, renewable once.
He recalled that the BoT was earlier alerted to possible breaches of the constitution through a petition by “concerned members.”
He said the matter was discussed at a BoT meeting held on April 23, 2026, where it was resolved that the tenure of officials who assumed office in March 2020 lapsed on March 10, 2026.
According to him, those affected include Senator F. Orti, Deputy Chairman of the BoT; Ambassador Ibrahim Sule, Vice Chairman of the BoT; Senator Ibrahim Ida, Deputy Chairman of the NEC; and Murtala Aliyu, Secretary-General.
Dalhatu said, although Aliyu’s tenure was extended to May 15, 2026, to conclude handover processes, he had declined to step aside, noting that he is the only affected official resisting the decision.
“In a baffling twist, Mallam Murtala Aliyu, now in his seventh year as Secretary-General, has rejected the resolution and continues to hold on to office,” Dalhatu said.
He disclosed that attempts were made to resolve the matter amicably, including a meeting of elders convened by Haliru Akilu and hosted by Mahmud Ahmed on April 21, 2026.
Dalhatu accused Aliyu of escalating the situation by convening an emergency NEC meeting scheduled for May 6, allegedly to overturn the BoT’s resolution.
He also dismissed claims of financial impropriety, insisting that all funds under the ACF Endowment Fund were intact and managed transparently.
Reacting, Aliyu insisted that his tenure remained valid based on due process and documented reappointment.
“I was appointed Secretary in March 2020, inaugurated in August 2020, re-elected in July 2023 and inaugurated in December 2023. I have documents to support all these,” he said.
He argued that his re-election in 2023 effectively renewed his mandate, countering claims that his tenure had expired.
Tenure dispute splits ACF, BoT chair suspended
